Brennan is serving a two-year ban from rugby for his role in fabricating the blood injury to Harlequins winger Tom Williams during the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Leinster at Twickenham Stoop in April 2009.

He told a Health Professions Council conduct and competence committee hearing in London on Monday that he also admitted to using the scam on four other occasions.

The first of those was during Harlequins’ season in the second tier of English rugby in 2005-06. He said he twice bought fake blood capsules from a joke shop, claiming the items on club expenses.

“I followed orders and wish I hadn’t,” admitted Brennan, whose role in the scam cost him his “dream job” of working with England, which he had been due to start last season.

“Yes I went on to the pitch with the intention of deceiving the referee.

“I wish I’d stood up to Dean Richards but in the heat of the moment I did not have that clarity of judgment. It was the stupid act of cheating.”

Brennan revealed that he used a presentation at an end-of-season management meeting in 2008 to state that the physiotherapy department was uncomfortable faking blood injuries but did not receive a response from the club.

He said he did not take the matter further in order “to keep my job, as jobs in professional rugby union are hard to come by. I was very lucky”.

Although Brennan said he regretted his actions “every day,” he denied the charge that his “fitness to practise” had been impaired by his misconduct.